Dr Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK since 2018 and former adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was strongly critical of western hypocrisy towards Palestine when he spoke at an AEJ UK lunch meeting on October 17.
He said the post Second World War rules-based international order was ignored when it comes to Israel, which constantly flouted the conventions with its seizure of Palestine territory and imposition of martial law on Palestinians when Israeli settlers living in the same region were able to operate under normal civil laws. He condemned this as “apartheid”.
Dr Zomlot told the AEJ members and Regent’s University students that the war in Ukraine further highlighted western hypocrisy as Britain, the European Union and the United States all moved quickly to support Ukraine and sanction Russia, while Israel goes unpunished for its unilateral actions in the occupied territories.
The move of the US embassy to Jerusalem and Britain’s proposal to follow them only served to reinforce this feeling of double standards. He pointed out that the UK voted against Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem in the United Nations but now proposes to move its embassy there.
He said Palestine was still committed to bringing about a two-state solution and urged the UK to join the 158 countries that have supported recognition of Palestine based on the 1967 boundaries.
During a wide-ranging question and answer session. Dr Zomlot was challenged on the lack of unity among Palestinians which he admitted was a “self-inflicted wound”, although he placed great faith in the younger generation which he said was “afactional” and was “taking up the flame but in a very different way”.
You can listen to Dr Zomlot’s presentation and on-the-record Q&A session in the audio recording.
Report by David Worsfold. Photos by Doros Partasides.
